Fountain toothbrush



June 2, 1953 F. H. BoRslNl FOUNTAIN TooTHBRusH Filed Nov. 29, 1945 liquid dentifrice.

Patented June 2, 195,3

FOUNTAIN TOOTHBRUSH Frederick H. Borsini, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to William H. McGhee, Dayton, Ohio Application November 29, 1945, Serial No. 631,507

2 Claims. (Cl. 15-133) This invention relates to a tooth brush and one object of the invention is to provide a tooth brush having a receptacle for liquid dentifrice from which the dentifrice may be drawn into the mouth of the user.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a tooth brush having a cylindrical brush head provided with an axial oriiice through which the dentifrice may be drawn by suction.

A further object of the invention is to provide Asuch a tooth brush which is tightly sealed against leakage When not in use.

A. further object of the invention is to provide such a tooth brush of such size and shape that it may be carried upright in a pocket.

A further object of the invention is to provide a tooth brush having a cylindrical brush of soft rubber.

Other objects of the invention may appear as the tooth brush is described in detail.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a section taken longitudinally of the brush with the cap in place; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section, on an enlarged scale, taken through the brush head and its supporting element on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. l; Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the brush head; and Fig. 5 is an end elevation of the cap.

In these drawings I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of the invention but it is to be understood that the tooth brush as a whole, as well as the several parts thereof, may take various forms without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the embodiment here illustrated, the tooth brush comprises a handle portion 6 having within the same a receptacle -to contain dentifrice. Preferably the handle is tubular in form and is permanently closed at its outer end, the chamber l within the handle constituting ay receptacle for Connected with the inner end of the handle is a brush supporting element 8 which is detachably connected with the handle to form a closure therefor which can be readily removed for the purpose of filling or cleaning the chamber l. In the present arrangement, the inner end of the tubular handle is provided with a screw thread S and the adjacent end of the supporting element is screw threaded, as shown :at l0, to engage the thread in the handle, thus enabling the handle to be quickly and easily separated from the supporting element. The supporting element is provided adjacent the inner end of the screw threaded portion I0 with a part of enlarged diameter forming a shoulder II adapted to engage the end of the tubular handle and to tightly seal the same when the supporting element is screwed into the handle. The forward or outer portion of the supporting element is so constructed as to support a brush head of the desired type and in the present instance it is adapted to extend into an opening in the brush head and is provided with a longitudinal passage or conduit I2 which extends for the full length thereof and communicates at its rear end with the chamber l.

The brush head may be of any suitable type but it is preferably provided With a longitudinal opening adapted to receive the supporting element and having at its outer or forward end an orifice communicating with the passage l2, the passage and orice constituting a conduit extending the full length of the brush. It is also preferable that the brush head shall be cylindrical in form and that the end portion thereof in which the orifice is formed shall be of yieldable ma.- terial. In the present instance the brush head, I4, is shown as formed of soft rubber and as comprising a tubular body portion l5 from which a Imultitude of small diameter projections I6 extend radially in all directions and constitute the bristles of the brush. The opening through this tubular body is closed at its forward end except for a small orice I3. The length of the opening is such that when the supporting element is fully inserted therein its forward end will be close to or in contact with the closed end of the opening, and the orifice I3 will be in direct communication with the passage I2. That portion of the supporting element which engages the brush head is of an overall diameter slightly greater than theinterior diameter of the tubular body and has its outer end slightly tapered to facilitate its entrance into the tubular body. Thus when the tubular body is pressed onto the supporting element, it rmly grips the latter and is retained thereon. However, it is usually preferable to provide the supporting element with serrations Il so that the contraction of the tubular body about the supporting element will cause portions thereof to enter the spaces between the serrations and thus very rmly retain the brush head on the supporting element. The serrations are shown in an exaggerated form and are usually of such depth that the brush head can be removed by applying force thereto, thereby enabling a worn brush head to be removed and a new one substituted therefor without discarding the tooth brush as a whole.

When the supporting tubular body, in which the orifice is formed, is

tapered, as shown more particularly in Fig. 2, and due to the resiliency of the rubber it constitutes a nipple Which facilitates the drawing of successive small portions of the dentifrice into the mouth of the user.

The tooth brush is provided with a cap i8 to enclose the brush head and to protect the same when the brush is not in use. As here shown, the Sap I8 is cylindrical in form, is closed at its outer end and has its inner end of Such internal diameter that it may be pressed over the inner end of the handle 6 and will be retained thereon by friction, While the orilice I3 is so small that there will be little leakage of the liquid through the same it is nevertheless desirable that means loe provided to positively prevent leakage and the cap lg is provided with a member adapted to Seal, the orifice. This member is here shown as .a tapered plus er valve i9 arranged within and secured to the end wall of the cap in such a posh tion that the small end thereof will enter the prince when the cap isk placed` on the brush. Due the resiliency of the rubber in which the prince is rformed, a very tight seal is thus pro- Yided. The sealing member er valve I9 may be secured to the cap in any suitable manner as by en attaching. member 2.0 which it here Shown as ueifilrteeured te,A and preferably formed integral with., the .Sealing member and which extends through end Wall of the cap, and has its` outer end upset or riveted.

vvill be noted the tooth brush has much the form and external appearance of av fountain pen and is adapted to be carried in a vest poclget in upright position. For the purpose of retainthe tooth brush in the pocket the clap is provided With a clip 2| extending lengthwise t veci and this clip has an end portion; 22 extending across the outer end of the cap. and provided With an opening through Whichthe end of the attaching member may be inserted before it. is riveted, so that the one attaching member serves to connect both the clip and the sealing member with the cap.

The tooth brush, with the exception of the brush head, may be formed of any Suitable material, such as a suitable plastic, and by making itV of` transparent material the contents of the chamber 'l are at all times visible, so that the amount of dentifrice contained therein can be easily ascertained. The body portion of the b rush head is preferably formed of yieldable material, such as soft rubber, which will tightly grip the supporting element but can be easily removed therefrom.` The bristles, or brushing 4 elements, may be of soft rubber, as shown, or of any suitable material.

While I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the details thereof as various modifications may occur to a person skilled in the art.

Having now fully described what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a tooth brush, a handle having therein a chamber to receive a fluid dentifrice, an elongate member connected at one end with said handle and having therein a longitudinal passage open at its ends only, and communicating at its inner end with said chamber, said elongate member being provided with outwardly directed serra-@1011s, a cylindrical brush head separate from and mounted on said elongate member and having an end portion extending beyond the outer end of said elongate member, said cylindrical brush hjead being made of resilient material resiliently engaging the serrations on the elongate member to hold the brush head in position, said brush head having resilient bristles extending radially from all sides thereof, said end portion of said brush head having a restricted orifice communicating with the outer end of said passage in said elongate member and constituting a mouth piece through which dentifrice may be drawn from said passage.

2. In -a tooth brush, a handle having therein a chamber to receive a fluid dentifrice, an elongate member connected at one end with said handle and having therein a longitudinal ypassage open at its ends only, and communicating at its inner end with said chamber, a cylindrical brush head of resilient material mounted about and having rm contact with said elongate member, resilient bristles extending radially from all sides of said cylindrical head, said brush head having an outer end wall substantially in Contact with the outerA end of said elongate member, said end wall having a restricted oriiice in line with and com municating with thev open outer end of the passage in said elongate member, Said end Wall being of substantial thickness and having an outwardly tapered exterior surface.

FREDERICK H. BORSINI.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

